THE CARNEGIE COURTHOUSE

The Dornoch Court House was designed by Thomas Brown (1806-1872) in the Scottish Victorian renaissance style and was commissioned on February 7th, 1849 for an estimated cost of £2,427. For over 160 years it served as the socio-economic centre of the town, but was closed in 2013. We purchased the building in an effort to preserve local history, enhance the visitor’s experience and to serve as a catalyst for economic progress. The building has been renamed in honour of Andrew Carnegie and his wife Louise in recognition of their contributions to Dornoch and the surrounding area.

The Dornoch Courthouse has been renovated into a vibrant retail centre, housing several tourism oriented businesses and has been renamed The Carnegie Courthouse. The proprietors, purchased the Courthouse in 2015 and have created an exciting development housing, a new Dornoch Visitors Centre, The Carnegie Whisky Cellars and The Courthouse Cafe which is located in the former first floor court room, a lift enables full accessibility to all areas of the building. The Courthouse also welcomes Aspen Spa of Tain who have expanded into Dornoch with the opening of Aspen Spa at Carnegie Courthouse.

The mural in the Courthouse Cafe depicts personalities connected to Dornoch from past and present day. Set in a court scene (as the room was originally laid out) sixty two famous and local faces can be seen watching over proceedings. The mural was created by artist Sandy Noble, Brogan Arts. Why not come into The Courthouse Cafe, enjoy some lunch and see how many faces you recognise with the help of our useful guide.